Charles Sturt University's Mobile Learning Project

Build Quality

One of the unexpected aspects of having to support the iPad has been the lack of hardware issues. None of the devices used throughout the Project has had any hardware or operating system failures. Three devices were damaged by accidental drops, which resulted in smashed screens, but the underlying hardware was still intact. Comparing the quality of materials, fit and finish to the other devices purchased by the Project for the testing suite, the iPad is ahead of the field. The glass and aluminium body holds up particularly well to long periods of use and everyday wear and tear, and the plastic bodies on other devices may have difficulty in maintaining the same level of quality over the same periods of time.